Heron Lake Plateau On a hill, under a raven sky.

She had been so utterly thunderstruck by the news that she hadn't hashed it out at the time. Now that the opportunity presented itself, Towhee found herself seizing it. Turning to face Phox more fully, she shook her head. -I don't know how it's possible. I tore out his throat and then threw him off a cliff. You'd think he'd be dead twice over but no, he's still out there. It was Tegan,- she signed a little jerkily, her agitation with the whole situation evident even in the darkness. -They fought and Tegan has a concussion from it. I just can't believe that piece of fucking shit is still out there, hurting my—our family,- she corrected herself mid-gesture, feeling a weird heat pass through her as she acknowledged Phox as part of that family. -Pisses me off,- she concluded with a low growl rumbling in her chest.

Feeling uneasy now as well as angry, Towhee turned away from Phox again, gazing over the black lake. The mere thought of swimming across to The Roost caused her to shudder and feel the ghost of a chill. Not only would it be uncomfortable, it might actually be dangerous. It wasn't something she'd considered during the high heat of summer but the island wouldn't make a suitable resting place over the winter. She'd have to find somewhere else to bed down every night.

She could shack up with Quixote, Raven and the kids or Elwood, Finley, Clover and the boys. The idea of rooming with Colt and Niamh even crossed her mind—she was rather fond of her Person—but she dismissed that thought out of hand because she couldn't imagine sharing space with the Beta's mate. She also tossed out the other ideas. She didn't want to infringe on any of the pack's family units. That left her out in the cold, so to speak, although she was looking right at the obvious solution.

Towhee had made the mistake of giving Screech a second chance and she was loath to repeat that situation. But Phox was... different. Technically, Screech had been on his third or fourth chance. He'd been accused of murder. Phox's biggest fault was his cowardice. But he was back now and seemed ready to do whatever it took to prove himself. She eyeballed him for a long beat before deciding she'd do it for survival, if nothing else.

-Come with me,- she signed before striding away from the lake shore.